Page 29 of Sweet Temptation

“Uh-oh.” Rachel had inched closer against the table.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have even known where he lived if I hadn’t found a card in the pile of mail in my kitchen. My first surprise was that he lived in a cute cottage with flowers in the window boxes. But the doozy of a start came when the woman who answered the door informed me that her husband wasn’t home right then. I scrambled away as fast as I could. Found myself in the parking lot of the Bronco Lounge. I remember ordering a drink and sulking, then everything else is a blank until I woke up in a strange motel room with a note from your brother telling me to call if I needed a ride somewhere.”

“He left you a note?” Rachel looked confused.

Jackie nodded. “He’d rented two rooms, one for me and one for him.”

A knowing smile formed on Jillian’s face. “The guy always was a goody two shoes. He scolded the heck out of Carson for knocking up Jess after a one night stand. Though I think he was more annoyed with the one night stand part more than the baby part.”

“Hewasan Eagle Scout,” Rachel chimed in, the same smile on her lips.

“That would explain why having me pass out in his car didn’t seem to faze him.” Jackie couldn’t imagine anyone else on the planet being as nice to her as Garret had been.

Jillian cocked her head to one side. “I thought you said everything that night was a blank?”

“Any information I have, came from your brother.”

“Makes sense.” Rachel nodded, then her gaze suddenly narrowed again. “Jackie?”

“Mm?”

“Does this Brad guy know that you know he’s married?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”

Just thinking. Jackie had seen a look like that in her grandmother’s eyes a time or two, usually right before she’d play the card that won her the poker pot in a family card game.

Chapter Twelve

Eleanor Shannon had never been one to wait for an invitation. Not back in the seventies when she’d marched in the women’s rights rallies, not when she’d taken over her late husband’s firm despite the skeptics, and certainly not when it came to checking up on her only granddaughter. That still small voice in the back of her head wouldn’t stop asking what the heck was really going on in West Texas. She knew why her beloved grandchild had moved to Houston; as much as Eleanor loved her small hometown, Jackie couldn’t wait to escape. Then, with no warning, one minute her precious Jacqueline was in Houston bubbling excitedly over a new guy in her life—Brad something—and then the next thing Eleanor knew, her big city loving granddaughter was settling down across the state in of all places, a small town. All it had taken was one short night, tossing and turning, to be packed and on the road by six am. And now, here she was.

Honeysuckle, Texas had more charm than she’d expected. She’d been picturing some dusty one-horse town with tumbleweed on the sidewalks, but the tidy storefronts and flower boxes reminded her of any number of East Texas small towns from her childhood. She parked her silver Buick—a sensible car for a not-so-sensible woman, as her friends liked to joke—and checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror. Content that she looked presentable, she stepped out of the car and began strolling down Main Street, delighted for the chance to stretch her legs and work her stiff muscles. Shop after shop tugged at her curiosity to go in and peruse, but there was only time for a quick look before she called Jackie and tracked down where she was staying.

Coming upon Corn Hole Heaven, she paused. An entire store dedicated to corn hole? Memories of playing as a child made her smile. Maybe one quick perusal wouldn’t hurt anything. The bell jingled cheerfully as she pushed open the door. The interior was surprisingly spacious, filled with colorful wooden boards and fabric bags arranged by weight and color. Who knew there were so many options for accessories, and so… bright too.

“Hello!” A woman about twenty years her junior approached with a welcoming smile. “Just passing through or looking to join the corn hole revolution?”

“Neither, actually.” Eleanor returned the warm smile. “My granddaughter Jacqueline recently moved to town, and I thought I’d surprise her.”

The woman’s face twisted in thought, then, as if a switch had been flipped, lit up like a Christmas tree. “You must mean Jackie! Oh my goodness, you’re Jackie’s grandmother?” She turned toward the back of the store. “Liz! Come out here! Jackie’s grandmother is here!”

Another woman, clearly a sister based on their similar features, hurried from the back room.

“I’m Vicki Langley, and this is my sister Liz,” the first woman explained. “We’re Garret’s aunts.”

“Garret?” Eleanor repeated, testing the name on her tongue. Her granddaughter had been very vague about her reasons for settling into a small town—something she’d spent her entire childhood planning to escape—but this could explain a lot. A new man.

The sisters exchanged knowing glances that set off Eleanor’s internal alarms.

“Jackie hasn’t mentioned Garret?” Liz asked.

Eleanor shook her head.

The two siblings leaned in conspiratorially.

“He’s our nephew. And, well, quite frankly,” Vicki’s smile took over her face, “I’ve never seen him so smitten.”

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